Atheros 802.11n Adapter Model AR5BXB92 802.11n Adapter Dec 2007 20002006 by Atheros Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. ATHEROS, the Atheros logo, 5-UP, Driving the Wireless Future, Atheros Driven, Atheros Turbo Mode, and the Air is Cleaner at 5-GHz are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Notice The information in this document has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be accurate. Nonetheless, this document is subject to change without notice, and Atheros Communications, Inc. (Atheros) assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this document, and makes no commitment to update or to keep current the contained information, or to notify a person or organization of any updates. Atheros reserves the right to make changes, at any time, in order to improve reliability, function or design and to attempt to supply the best product possible. Atheros does not represent that products described herein are free from patent infringement or from any other third party right. No part of this document may be reproduced, adapted or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, except as expressly set forth in a written agreement signed by Atheros. Atheros or its affiliates may have patents or pending patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, maskwork rights or other intellectual property rights that apply to the ideas, material and information expressed herein. No license to such rights is provided except as expressly set forth in a written agreement signed by Atheros. ATHEROS MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THE CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL ATHEROS BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL SPECULATORY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN PARTICULAR, ATHEROS SHALL NOT HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA TRANSMITTED OR OTHERWISE USED WITH THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING THE COSTS OF REPAIRING, REPLACING, INTEGRATING, INSTALLING OR RECOVERING SUCH HARDWARE, SOFTWARE OR DATA. ATHEROS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AS THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE APPLY TO THIS DOCUMENT AND TO THE IDEAS, MATERIAL AND INFORMATION EXPRESSED HEREIN. Document Conventions Text Conventions bold Bold type within paragraph text indicates commands, file names, directory names, paths, output, or returned values. Example: The DK_Client package will not function unless you use the wdreg_install batch file. italic Within commands, italics indicate a variable that the user must specify. Example: mem_alloc size_in_bytes Titles of manuals or other published documents are also set in italics. Courier The Courier font indicates output or display. Example:
Menu Error:Unable to allocate memory for transfer!
The Menu character tag is used for menu items. Example: Choose Edit > Copy.
Within commands, items enclosed in square brackets are optional parameters or values that the user can choose to specify or omit. Within commands, items enclosed in braces are options from which the user must choose. Within commands, the vertical bar separates options. An ellipsis indicates a repetition of the preceding parameter. The right angle bracket separates successive menu selections. Example: Start > Programs > DK > wdreg_install. Notices NOTE: This message denotes neutral or positive information that calls out important points to the text. A note provides information that may apply only in special cases. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL March 2008 iii Revision History Revision Dec 2007 Description of Changes Initial Release iv Dec 2007 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Contents Introduction ...............................................................................................................7 System Requirements ........................................................................................7 Profile Management .................................................................................................7 Create or Modify a Configuration Profile.......................................................7 Remove a Configuration Profile.......................................................................8 Auto Profile Selection Management.......................................................................8 Switching to a Different Configuration Profile.....................................................9 Import and Export Profiles ......................................................................................9 Importing a Profile....................................................................................................9 Exporting a Profile ....................................................................................................9 TCP/IP Configuration..............................................................................................9 Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device:.................................9 General Tab..............................................................................................................10 Advanced Tab..........................................................................................................10 Security Tab .............................................................................................................11 Using EAP-TLS Security .................................................................................12 Using EAP-TTLS Security...............................................................................12 Using PEAP (EAP-GTC) Security ..................................................................13 Using PEAP-MSCHAP V2 Security...............................................................14 Using LEAP Security .......................................................................................15 Configuring LEAP ..................................................................................................15 Pre-Shared Encryption Keys..................................................................................16 Defining pre-shared encryption keys:..................................................................16 Overwriting an Existing Static WEP Key ............................................................16 Disabling Static WEP..............................................................................................16 Using WPA Passphrase Security ..........................................................................17 Zero Configuration .................................................................................................17 Wireless Network Configuration..........................................................................17 Check the Status Information or Diagnostics......................................................18 Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 v Current Status................................................................................................... 18 Adapter Information Button ................................................................................. 19 Diagnostics Tab....................................................................................................... 19 Transmitted Frames................................................................................................ 20 Received Frames ..................................................................................................... 20 Scan Available Networks....................................................................................... 20 Connecting to a different network ....................................................................... 20 Display Settings....................................................................................................... 22 ACU Tools................................................................................................................ 22 Tray Icon .................................................................................................................. 23 Color ......................................................................................................................... 24 Quality...................................................................................................................... 24 RSSI* ......................................................................................................................... 24 Ad Hoc Mode .......................................................................................................... 24 Ad Hoc Mode Profile Configuration............................................................. 24 Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode...................................................................... 25 Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode Profile Configuration ........................ 25 Uninstall an Old Driver ......................................................................................... 26 Additional Security Features................................................................................. 26 Message Integrity Check (MIC) ............................................................................ 26 Advanced Status Information ............................................................................... 27 Compliance.............................................................................................................. 28 Industry Canada Notice:.......................................Error! 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Bookmark not defined. European Community CE Notice:................................................................... 28 vi Dec 2007 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Introduction The Atheros 802.11n Adapter supports 802.11bg operation. The card uses the Atheros Client Utility (ACU) which is a user-mode utility designed to edit and add profiles for selected Atheros network interface adapters. System Requirements Laptop/ PC containing:
32-bit PCI Express Bus 32 MB memory or greater 300 MHz processor or higher Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows XP, or Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 6) Profile Management Configure the wireless network adapter (wireless card) from the Profile Management tab of the Atheros Client Utility. Add a profile Edit a profile Import a Profile Export a Profile Order profiles Switch to a different profile Remove a profile Connect to a Different Network The wireless network adapter works in either infrastructure mode (which uses an access point) or ad hoc mode (a group of stations participating in the wireless LAN). Create or Modify a Configuration Profile To add a new configuration profile, click New on the Profile Management tab. To modify a configuration profile, select the configuration from the Profile list and click the Modify button. The Profile Management dialog box displays the General tab. In profile management:
Edit the General tab. Edit the Security tab. Edit the Advanced tab. To configure a profile for ad hoc or access point (infrastructure) mode, edit the Network Type field on the Advanced tab. Note that the ACU only allows the creation of 16 configuration profiles. After the creation of 16 profiles, clicking the New button displays an error message. Remove an old profile or modify an existing profile for a new use. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 7 Remove a Configuration Profile 1. Go to the Profile Management tab. 2. Select the profile to remove from the list of configuration profiles. 3. Click the Remove button. Auto Profile Selection Management Including a profile in the auto selection feature allows the wireless adapter to automatically select that profile from the list of profiles and use it to connect to the network. Including a profile in auto profile selection:
1. On the Profile Management tab, click the Order Profiles button. 2. The Auto Profile Selection Management window appears, with a list of all created 3. Highlight the profiles to add to auto profile selection, then click Add. The profiles profiles in the Available Profiles box. appear in the Auto Selected Profiles box. Ordering the auto selected profiles:
1. Highlight a profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box. 2. Click Move Up, Move Down, or Remove as appropriate. The first profile in the Auto Selected Profiles box has highest priority, and the last profile has lowest priority. 3. Click OK. 4. Check the Auto Select Profiles box. 5. Save the modified configuration file. When auto profile selection is enabled by checking Auto Select Profiles on the Profile Management tab, the adapter scans for an available network. The profile with the highest priority and the same SSID as one of the found networks is the one that is used to connect to the network. If the connection fails, the adapter tries the next highest priority profile that matches the SSID, and so on. With auto profile selection enabled, the wireless adapter scans for available networks. The highest priority profile with the same SSID as a found network is used to connect to the network. On a failed connection, the adapter tries with the next highest priority profile. 8 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Switching to a Different Configuration Profile 1. To switch to a different profile, go to the Profile Management tab. 2. Click on the profile name in the Profile List. 3. Click the Activate button. The Profile List provides icons that specify the operational state for that profile. The list also provides icons that specify the signal strength for that profile. Import and Export Profiles Importing a Profile 1. From the Profile Management tab, click the Import button. The Import Profile window appears. 2. Browse to the directory where the profile is located. 3. Highlight the profile name. 4. Click Open. The imported profile appears in the profiles list. Exporting a Profile 1. From the Profile Management tab, highlight the profile to export. 2. Click the Export button. The Export Profile window appears. 3. Browse to the directory to export the profile to. 4. Click Save. The profile is exported to the specified location. TCP/IP Configuration Configuring the TCP/IP Address for the network device:
1. After configuring the wireless network adapter properties, open the Control Panel and 2. Find the Local Area Connection associated with the wireless network adapter. Right-
open Network and Dial-up Connections. click that connection, and click Properties. 3. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties. 4. Click the radio button Use the following IP address, then enter an IP address and Subnet mask. Assigning an IP address and Subnet mask allows stations to operate in access point mode (infrastructure mode) or in ad hoc mode and to have Internet access. Default gateway and DNS server information is also required. IP configuration information
(DHCP to assign the IP address, gateway and DNS server IP addresses) is usually obtained from the corporate IT staff. 5. Click OK to finish. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 9 General Tab In the Atheros Client Utility, access the General tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab. Edit the fields in the General tab to configure the configuration profile. Make sure to also edit the Security and Advanced tabs. Profile Name Identifies the configuration profile. This name must be unique. Profile names are not case sensitive. Client Name Identifies the client machine. Network Names (SSIDs) The IEEE 802.11 wireless network name. This field has a maximum limit of 32 characters. Configure up to three SSIDs (SSID1, SSID2, and SSID3). Advanced Tab In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Advanced tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab, then clicking the Advanced tab in Profile Management. Edit the fields in the Advanced tab of Profile Management to configure the profile. Transmit Power Level Power Save Mode Selects the transmit power level in mW. Actual transmit power may be limited by hardware. Specify:
Maximum mode causes the access point to buffer incoming messages for the wireless adapter. The adapter periodically polls the access point to see if any messages are waiting. Normal uses maximum when retrieving a large number of packets, then switches back to power save mode after retrieving the packets. Off turns power saving off, thus powering up the wireless adapter continuously for a short message response time. Network Type Specifies the network as either infrastructure or ad hoc. 802.11b Preamble Authentication Mode Specifies the preamble setting in 802.11b. The default setting is Short &
Long (access point mode), which allows both short and long headers in the 802.11b frames. The adapter can only use short radio headers if the access point supports and uses them. Set to Long Only to override allowing short frames. Select the mode the wireless adapter uses to authenticate to an AP:
Auto causes the adapter to attempt authentication using shared, but switches it to open authentication if shared fails. Open enables an adapter to attempt authentication regardless of its WEP settings. It will only associate with the access point if the WEP keys on both the adapter and the access point match. Shared only allows the adapter to associate with access points that have the same WEP key. 10 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. For infrastructure (access point) networks, click the Preferred APs button to specify up to four access points to which the adapter should attempt to associate. Security Tab In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab by clicking New or Modify on the Profile Management tab. Click the Security tab in the Profile Management window. Edit the fields in the Security tab of Profile Management to configure the profile. To define the security mode, select the radio button of the desired security mode. Make sure to also edit the General and Advanced tabs. WPA/WPA2 Enables the use of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Choosing WPA/WPA2 opens the WPA/WPA2 EAP drop-down menu. The options include:
EAP-FAST EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP (EAP-GTC) PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) LEAP Enables WPA/WPA2 Passphrase security. Click on the Configure button and fill in the WPA/WPA2 Passphrase. 802.1x Enables 802.1x security. This option requires IT administration. WPA/WPA2 Passphrase Choosing 802.1x opens the 802.1x EAP type drop-down menu. The options include:
EAP-FAST EAP-TLS EAP-TTLS PEAP (EAP-GTC) PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) LEAP If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab to allow association. Note: If the Lock checkbox is checked, you cannot change any values in this profile. See your system administrator. Enables the use of pre-shared keys that are defined on both the access point and the station. To define pre-shared encryption keys, choose the Pre-Shared Key radio button and click the Configure button to fill in the Define Pre-
Shared Keys window. If the access point that the wireless adapter is associating to has WEP set to Optional and the client has WEP enabled, make sure that Pre-Shared Key
(Static WEP) Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 11 Allow Association to Mixed Cells is checked on the Security Tab to allow association. None No security (not recommended). Using EAP-TLS Security To use EAP-TLS security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. 2. Choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu. Enabling EAP-TLS security:
To use EAP-TLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TLS certificates downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager. 1. If EAP-TLS is supported, choose EAP-TLS from the drop-down menu on the right, then click the Configure button. 2. Select the appropriate certificate authority from the list. The server/domain name and the login name are filled in automatically from the certificate information. Click OK. 3. Click OK. 4. Activate the profile. Using EAP-TTLS Security To use EAP security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA/WPA2 radio button. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. 2. Choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu. Enabling EAP-TTLS security:
To use EAP-TTLS security, the machine must already have the EAP-TTLS certificates downloaded onto it. Check with the IT manager. 1. If EAP-TTLS is supported, choose EAP-TTLS from the drop-down menu on the right, then click the Configure button. 2. Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list and click OK. 3. Specify a user name for EAP authentication:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the EAP user name. OR: Enter an EAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name and password and start the EAP authentication process. 4. Click Advanced and:
12 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate Authority drop-down list. (recommended) Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a certificate. Change the login name if needed. 5. Click OK. 6. Enable the profile. Using PEAP (EAP-GTC) Security To use PEAP (EAP-GTC) security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. 2. Choose PEAP (EAP-GTC) from the drop-down menu. To use PEAP (EAP-GTC) security, the server must have WPA-PEAP certificates, and the server properties must already be set. Check with the IT manager. 1. Click the Configure button. 2. To avoid the need to log on again after resuming operation (for example, after your computer goes into standby or hibernate mode), check Always Resume the Secure Session. 3. Select the appropriate network certificate authority from the drop-down list. 4. Specify a user name for inner PEAP tunnel authentication:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the PEAP user name. OR: Enter a PEAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name and start the PEAP authentication process. 5. Choose Token or Static Password, depending on the user database. Note that Token uses a hardware token device or the Secure Computing SofToken program (version 1.3 or later) to obtain and enter a one-time password during authentication. 6. Click Settings... and:
Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate Authority drop-down list. (recommended) Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a certificate. The login name used for PEAP tunnel authentication fills in automatically as PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computer's MAC address. Change the login name if needed. 7. Click OK. 8. Enable the profile. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 13 Using PEAP-MSCHAP V2 Security To use PEAP-MSCHAP V2 security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. 2. Choose PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) from the drop-down menu. To use PEAP (EAP-MSCHAP V2) security, the server must have WPA-PEAP certificates, and the server properties must already be set. Check with the IT manager. 1. Click the Configure button. 2. Select the appropriate certificate from the drop-down list. 3. Specify a user name for inner PEAP tunnel authentication:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the PEAP user name. OR: Enter a PEAP user name in the User Name field to use a separate user name and start the PEAP authentication process. 4. Click Advanced and:
Leave the server name field blank for the client to accept a certificate from any server with a certificate signed by the authority listed in the Network Certificate Authority drop-down list. (recommended) Enter the domain name of the server from which the client will accept a certificate. The login name used for PEAP tunnel authentication fills in automatically as PEAP-xxxxxxxxxxxx, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is the computer's MAC address. Change the login name if needed. 5. Click OK. 6. Enable the profile. 14 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Using LEAP Security To use security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. LEAP security requires that all infrastructure devices (e.g. access points and servers) are configured for LEAP authentication. Check with the IT manager. Configuring LEAP On the Security tab, choose the WPA radio button. Choose WPA-LEAP from the OR: On the Security tab, choose the 802.1x radio button. Choose LEAP from the drop-down menu. drop-down menu. 1. Click the Configure button. 2. Specify a user name and password. Select to Use Temporary User Name and Password by choosing the radio button:
Check Use Windows User Name to use the Windows user name as the LEAP user name. OR: Check Manually Prompt for LEAP User Name and Password to manually login and start the LEAP authentication process. Select to Use Saved User Name and Password by choosing the radio button:
Specify the LEAP user name, password, and domain to save and use. 3. Enter the user name and password. 4. Confirm the password. 5. Specify a domain name:
Check the Include Windows Logon Domain with User Name setting to pass the Windows login domain and user name to the RADIUS server. (default) OR: Enter a specific domain name. 6. If desired, check No Network Connection Unless User Is Logged In to force the wireless adapter to disassociate after logging off. 7. Enter the LEAP authentication timeout time (between 30 and 500 seconds) to specify how long LEAP should wait before declaring authentication failed, and sending an error message. The default is 90 seconds. 8. Click OK. 9. Enable the profile. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 15 Pre-Shared Encryption Keys Defining pre-shared encryption keys:
1. Click the Pre-Shared Key (Static WEP) radio button on the Security tab. 2. Click the Configure button. 3. Fill in the fields in the Define Pre-Shared Keys dialog box:
Key Entry Determines the entry method for an encryption key: hexadecimal (0-9, A-F), or ASCII text (all keyboard characters except spaces). Encryption Keys WEP Keys
(1-4) Selects the default encryption keys used. Only allows the selection for a shared First, Second, Third, or Fourth key whose corresponding field has been completed. Defines a set of shared encryption keys for network configuration security. At least one Shared Key field must be populated to enable security using a shared key. Click on the radio button to set the key as the default encryption key. WEP Key Size Defines the size for each encryption key. The options include:
64-bit (enter 10 digits for hexadecimal, 5 ASCII characters) 128-bit (enter 26 digits for hexadecimal, 13 digits for ASCII) 152-bit (enter 32 digits hexadecimal, 16 digits for ASCII) 4. Click OK for the changes to take effect. Overwriting an Existing Static WEP Key 1. Click the Pre-Shared Key radio button on the Security tab. 2. Click on Configure. 3. In the window, all existing static WEP keys are displayed as asterisks for security reasons. Click in the field of the existing static WEP key to overwrite. 4. Delete the asterisks in that field. 5. Enter a new key. 6. Make sure to select the Transmit Key button to the left of this key is selected for the key to transmit packets. 7. Click OK. Disabling Static WEP To disable static WEP for a particular profile, Select any other security option on the Profile Management tab to automatically disable static WEP OR: choose None on the Security tab to disable security, and click OK (not recommended). 16 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Using WPA Passphrase Security To use WPA Passphrase security In the Atheros Client Utility, access the Security tab in the Profile Management window. 1. On the Security tab, choose the WPA Passphrase radio button. 2. Click on the Configure button. 3. Fill in the WPA Passphrase. 4. Click OK. Zero Configuration This section describes the operation of the Atheros Client Utility (ACU) and Windows XP Wireless Configuration Service (WZCS). Wireless Network Configuration The Windows WZCS is a service that manages the wireless connection in a largely dynamic way. Only minimal connection information must be identified and configured. To set Zero Configuration on Windows XP, take the following steps:
1. 2. Select the check box Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings to set In Windows XP, open the Wireless Network Configuration Properties dialog box. Zero Configuration. When this check box is selected, Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles:
SSID Security keys Ad hoc settings Note that Windows XP takes control of these settings for all configuration profiles, thus users can not ( create new profiles with different settings while using Windows Zero Configuration. The Zero Configuration settings override all configuration profiles, even when you select other options. However, the ACU does still control the following settings when Zero Configuration is set:
Power settings Active/Passive scanning (where applicable) Transmit power Wireless band Short/Long preamble (802.11b) When Zero Configuration is in use, a pop-up message is displayed on the ACU when you attempt to create or edit a configuration profile from the Profile Management tab of the ACU. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 17 In Windows XP, open the Wireless Network Configuration Properties dialog box. To turn Zero Configuration off on Windows XP, take the following steps:
1. 2. Clear the check box Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings to set Zero Configuration. When this check box is cleared, all profile settings are controlled by the configuration profile, which is set up from the ACU Profile Management tab. Check the Status Information or Diagnostics The Atheros client utility includes a number of tools to display current diagnostics and status information. Check current status Check driver information Check receive and transmit diagnostics Current Status The Current Status tab contains general information about the program and its operations. The Current Status tab does not require any configuration. The following table describes the items found on the Current Status screen. Profile Name The name of the current selected configuration profile. Set up the configuration name on the General tab. Link Status Shows whether the station is associated to the wireless network. Wireless Mode Displays the wireless mode. Configure the wireless mode on the Advanced tab. IP Address Displays the computer's IP address. Network Type The type of network the station is connected to. Options include:
Infrastructure (access point) Ad Hoc Configure the network type on the Advanced tab. Current Channel Shows the currently connected channel. Shows whether server based authentication is used. Server Based Authentication Data Encryption Displays the encryption type the driver is using. Configure the encryption type on the Security tab. Signal Strength Shows the strength of the signal. 18 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Click the Advanced button to see the advanced status diagnostics. Adapter Information Button The Adapter Information button contains general information about the network interface card (the wireless network adapter) and the network driver interface specification (NDIS) driver. Access the adapter information from the Diagnostics tab. Card Name Name of the wireless network adapter. MAC Address MAC address of the wireless network adapter. Driver Driver name and path of the wireless network adapter driver. Driver Version Version of the wireless network adapter driver. Driver Date Creation date of the wireless network adapter driver. Client Name Name of the client computer. Diagnostics Tab The ACU Diagnostics tab provides allows retrieval of receive and transmit statistics. The Diagnostics tab does not require any configuration. It lists these receive and transmit diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted by the wireless network adapter:
Multicast packets transmitted and received Broadcast packets transmitted and received Unicast packets transmitted and received Total bytes transmitted and received The Adapter Information button has general information about the wireless network adapter and NDIS driver. The Advanced Statistics button to shows statistics for diagnostics for frames received by or transmitted to the wireless network adapter:
Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 19 Transmitted Frames Frames transmitted OK Frames retried Frames dropped No ACK frames ACK frames RTS frames Clear-to-send (CTS) frames No CTS frames Retried RTS frames Retried data frames Received Frames Frames received OK Beacons Frames with errors CRC errors Encryption errors Duplicate frames AP mismatches Data rate mismatches Authentication time-out Authentication rejects: the number of AP authentication failures received by the wireless network adapter Association time-out Association rejects: the number of AP authentication rejects received by the wireless network adapter Standard MIC OK Standard MIC errors CKIP MIC OK CKIP MIC errors Scan Available Networks Click the Scan button on the Profile Management tab to scan for available infrastructure and ad hoc networks. On this list, click Refresh to refresh the list at any time. Connecting to a different network Highlight a network name and click the Activate button to connect an available network. If no configuration profile exists for that network, the Profile Management window opens to the General tab. Fill in the profile name and click OK to create the configuration profile for that network. Infrastructure
(AP) Network Connected Infrastructure
(AP) Network 20 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Ad Hoc Network Connected Ad Hoc Network Encryption Active Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 21 Display Settings To change the display settings, choose Options > Display Settings from the menu. The display settings dialog box contains tools to set the:
Signal Strength Display Units Sets the units used when displaying signal strength: percentage (%) or dBm. Refresh Interval Use the up/down arrows to set the display refresh interval in seconds. Data Display Sets the display to cumulative or relative:
Relative displays the change in statistical data since the last update. Cumulative displays statistical data collected since opening the profile. ACU Tools Use the Action menu to access the Atheros Client Utility tools:
Enable/Disable Radio Enable or disable the RF Signal on all Atheros station reference designs. Enable/Disable Tray Icon Enable or disable the tray icon. Troubleshooting Run the optional Troubleshooting Utility. Manual LEAP Login Log in to LEAP manually, if LEAP is set to manually prompt for user name and password on each login. Reauthenticate Reauthenticate to a LEAP-configured access point. Exit Exit the Atheros Client Utility application. 22 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Tray Icon The tray icon appears at the bottom of the screen, and shows the signal strength using colors and the received signal strength indication (RSSI). Hold the mouse cursor over the tray icon to display the current configuration profile name and association, as well as transmit and receive speed and the wireless adapter name and IP address. Right-click on the tray icon to:
Help Open the online help. Open Atheros Client Utility Launch the Atheros Client Utility (ACU). Use the ACU to configure a profile or view status and statistics information. Troubleshooting Run the Troubleshooting Utility. Preferences Set the ACU startup and menu options. Check to start the program automatically when Windows starts, and check menu items that should appear on the popup menu. Enable/Disable Radio Enable or disable the RF signal. Manual LEAP Login Log in to LEAP manually, if LEAP is set to manually prompt for user name and password on each login. Reauthenticate Reauthenticate to the access point. Select Profile Click a configuration profile name to switch to. If no configuration profile exists for a connection, add a profile. Show Connection Status Shows whether auto profile selection is enabled. This window displays connection information:
Active Profile Displays the active configuration profile name. Auto Profile Selection Connection Status Link Quality SSID Access Point Name Access Point IP Address Link Speed Adapter IP Address Displays whether the adapter is connected to a wireless network. Lists the quality of the link connection. Displays the SSID of the associated network. Shows the name of the AP the wireless adapter is connected to. Shows the IP address of the access point the wireless adapter is connected to. Lists the speed of the link connection. Displays the IP address of the wireless adapter. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 23 Exit Exit the Atheros Client Utility application. The colors are defined as follows:
Color Green Green Yellow Red Gray Quality Excellent Good Poor Poor RSSI*
20 dB +
10-20 dB +
5-10 dB
< 5 dB No Connection No Connection
*Received signal strength indication RSSI. Displayed in dB or percentage. Enable or disable the tray icon in the Action menu. Ad Hoc Mode In ad hoc mode, a wireless network adapter works within an independent basic service set (IBSS), as illustrated here. All stations communicate directly with other stations without using an access point (AP). To connect to an ad hoc network, configure the profile for ad hoc mode. Ad Hoc operation may be limited by Hardware to meet regulatory requirements. Ad Hoc Mode Profile Configuration To configure a profile in ad hoc mode, change the Network Type in the Profile Management's Advanced tab. For ad hoc mode, modify the settings:
Network Name (on General Tab) Transmit Power Level 24 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. 802.11b Preamble (if using 802.11b) Wireless Mode When Starting an Ad Hoc Network Make sure to also edit the General and Security tabs. Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode In infrastructure (access point (AP)) mode, the wireless network adapter participates in a basic service set (BSS) as a station, and communicates with the other stations through an AP, as illustrated here. To connect to an access point network, configure the profile for access point mode. Infrastructure (Access Point) Mode Profile Configuration To configure a profile in infrastructure (access point) mode, change the Network Type in the Advanced tab. For access point mode, modify the settings:
802.11b Preamble (if using 802.11b) Power Save Mode Wireless Mode 802.11 Authentication Mode Make sure to also edit the General and Security tabs. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 25 Uninstall an Old Driver Uninstall an old driver before upgrading to a new NDIS driver release. To remove the newly installed driver from the system if the system does not have previously installed versions of the NDIS driver, proceed to Step 4. 1. To remove the NDIS driver from the OS, go to Device Manager, right-click Atheros AR500x Wireless Network Adapter, and choose Uninstall. 2. Click OK to uninstall the device. 3. When the device is uninstalled from Device Manager, search for and delete the driver files that reside in the system. a. Go to the Start menu and choose Search > For Files or Folders. b. Enter oem*.inf in the Search for files or folders named: field, and enter Atheros in the Containing text: field. c. Click Search Now. A few files matching these criteria are possible, if previous drivers have not been removed properly. d. Choose the files that have been found and delete them from the system. 4. To complete the uninstallation, remove the file ar5211.sys from the folder
\WINNT\system32\drivers. Additional Security Features These security features prevent attacks on a wireless network's WEP keys. The wireless adapter automatically supports each of these features, but these features must be enabled on the access point. Message Integrity Check (MIC) MIC prevents bit-flip attacks on encrypted packets. In a bit-flip attack, someone intercepts an encrypted message retransmits it after some alterations. Thus the receiver accepts the message as legitimate. The MIC adds some bytes to each packet to protect it against tampering. Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) This feature prevents attacks on WEP in which someone catches encrypted packets and uses their initialization vector (IV) to decipher the WEP key. TKIP removes the predictability to protect both unicast and broadcast WEP keys. Broadcast Key Rotation EAP authentication provides dynamic unicast WEP keys for wireless adapters, but uses static broadcast keys. In broadcast WEP key rotation, the access point supplies a dynamic broadcast WEP key and changes it at intervals. 26 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Advanced Status Information Click the Advanced button on the Current Status tab of the Atheros Client Utility to see advanced information about the program and its operations. The Current Status tab does not require any configuration. The following table describes the items found on the Advanced Status screen. Network Name (SSID) Displays the wireless network name. Configure the network name on the General tab. Shows whether server based authentication is used. Server Based Authentication Data Encryption Displays the encryption type the driver is using. Configure the encryption type on the Security tab. Authentication Type Displays the authentication mode. Message Integrity Check Configure the authentication mode on the General tab. Shows whether MIC is enabled. MIC prevents bit-flip attacks on encrypted packets. Associated AP Name Displays the name of the access point the wireless adapter is Associated AP IP Address Associated AP MAC Address associated to. Shows the IP address of the access point the wireless adapter is associated to. Displays the MAC address of the access point the wireless adapter is associated to. Power Save Mode Shows the power save mode. Power management is disabled in ad hoc mode. Configure the power save mode on the Advanced tab. Current Power Level Displays the transmit power level rate in mW. Current Signal Strength Shows the current signal strength in dBm. Current Noise Level Displays the current noise level in dBm. Up Time Shows how long the client adapter has been receiving power (in hours:minutes:seconds). If the adapter runs for more than 24 hours, the display shows in days:hours:minutes:seconds. 802.11b Preamble Displays the 802.11b preamble format. Configure the preamble format on the Advanced tab. Current Receive Rate Shows the current receive rate in Mbps. Current Transmit Rate Displays the current transmit rate in Mbps. Channel Shows the currently connected channel. Frequency Displays frequency the station is using. Channel Set Shows the current channel set. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 27 Regulatory Compliance Notices USA-Federal Communications Commission (FCC) FCC Radio-Frequency Exposure & Approval Conditions:
FCC ID#: PPD-AR5BXB92 1. Antennas must be installed to provide 20 cm separation distance from the transmitting antenna to the body of user during normal operating condition. This device must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter. 2. Only those antennas filed under FCC ID:PPD-AR5BXB92 can be used with this device. 3. When the Minicard is installed in a system where the antenna location is less than 20 cm separation distance to the body of the user, additional equipment authorization is required. 4. The regulatory label on the final system must include the statement: Contains FCC ID:PPD-AR5BXB92 . 5. The final system integrator must ensure there is no instruction provided in the user manual or customer documentation indicating how to install or remove the transmitter module. 6. AR5BXB92 must be installed and used in strict accordance with the manufacturers instructions as described in the user documentation that comes with the product. This device complies with the following radio frequency and safety standards. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, it may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by tuning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
-Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
-Increase the distance between the equipment and the receiver.
-Connect the equipment to outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
-Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the users authority to operate the equipment. Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation. To comply with FCC RF exposure compliance requirements, a separation distance of at least 20 cm must be maintained between the antenna of this device and all persons. This device must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter 28 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Canada Industry Canada (IC) This device complies with RSS 210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of this device. L utilisation de ce dispositif est autorise seulement aux conditions suivantes : (1) il ne doit pas produire de brouillage et (2) l utilisateur du dispositif doit tre prt accepter tout brouillage radiolectrique reu, mme si ce brouillage est susceptible de compromettre le fonctionnement du dispositif. The term "IC" before the equipment certification number only signifies that the Industry Canada technical specifications were met. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) is not more than that required for successful communication. To prevent radio interference to the licensed service, this device is intended to be operated indoors and away from windows to provide maximum shielding. Equipment (or its transmit antenna) that is installed outdoors is subject to licensing. Pour empecher que cet appareil cause du brouillage au service faisant l'objet d'une licence, il doit etre utilize a l'interieur et devrait etre place loin des fenetres afin de Fournier un ecram de blindage maximal. Si le matriel (ou son antenne d'emission) est installe a l'exterieur, il doit faire l'objet d'une licence. Caution: Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation. The installer of this radio equipment must ensure that the antenna is located or pointed such that it does not emit RF field in excess of Health Canada limits for the general population; consult Safety Code 6, obtainable from Health Canadas website www.hc-sc.gc.ca/rpb. European Community CE Notice:
The CE! mark indicates compliance with the essential requirements of Directive 1999/5/EC. Such marking is indicative that this equipment meets or exceeds the following technical standards:
EN 300 328 EN 301 489-17 EN 60950 Marking by the symbol: ! indicates that usage restrictions apply in countries listed on this products packaging. Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 29 Taiwan DGT Radio Compliance:
2.4GHz Operation 30 COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Atheros Communications, Inc. Atheros Communications, Incorporated 5480 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, CA 95054 t: 408/773-5200 f: 408/773-9940 www.atheros.com Atheros Communications, Inc. COMPANY CONFIDENTIAL Dec 2007 31